The Prophecy
by daisygal18
Summary: AU. "I held the necklace in my hand, it felt warm in my cold palm. Kieran said it chose me the night I was born, this is why mother and father hid me away. Why they lied to me my whole life." A girl from our world discovers the truth of her birth and the weight of a world she's never known is laid upon her shoulders.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Hello, I decided to take a break from writing Bold in Deed. I'm at a bit of a block with what I want to do and I thought writing this would help stimulate the ol' brain, also this story has been in my head for a hot minute.

This story is AU, still set in Fereldan, but also our world. There will be new characters and also some of our dear friends from the games.

This story is set after the events of Inquisition, many years after, and is told as if Alistair was made king and married Lady Cousland in Origins.

I hope you all enjoy this.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing, this story is strictly for entertainment purposes.

* * *

I am a normal girl that has lived a fairly normal life. I have a mother and a father, and while they are both a bit odd I love them dearly. Then there is Gran, my mother's mother, she is quirky and spends her time gardening and talking to her plants.

I grew up in a small southern town, I never had friends my age, my mother homeschooled me, something the people of our small community found odd. They also found mother odd for wearing long skirts and flowers in her hair year-round, I just thought she was a princess. They also liked to whisper about father and his long trips. He was a freelance writer and he would be gone weeks, sometimes months at a time on a project. Mother was always sad while he was gone, Gran always had to make her her special tea to help her sleep at night.

I remember everything about the night it happened, the night I went from a normal girl to an orphan, except the actual crash.

It had been odd when father returned home, mother had not rejoiced as she usually did. She had held me and cried as she rocked me. I was only eight at the time, so I had simply returned her hug and kissed her cheek in hopes of making her feel better.

Father with his reddish blonde hair and handsome smile knelt before me as I sat in mother's lap.

"I love you, my little dove, you know that don't you?" His English accent had always sounded so soothing to me. I smiled.

"I love you too daddy." I reached out to him, I had begun to grow taller but he still lifted me into his arms with ease.

"My little dove, my little princess." He said softly as he held me tight to his chest.

Mother sniffled, and she stood to hug us close and I was naive to their sadness, I just enjoyed the warm embrace of my mother and father.

"Let's go for ice cream." Father said suddenly and I cheered and squirmed from his arms to put my shoes on.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of beeping. My head hurt and all I could remember was the sound of metal being smashed and mother crying and saying she loved me. I touched my head where a deep slash separated my eyebrow. I winced at the pain and looked to my side to find Gran watching me.

"Gran?" I croaked.

She rushed over to hand me a glass of water and that's when I realized the beeping was coming from the monitor hooked to my body. I was in a hospital bed.

"Where are mother and father?" I asked, suddenly very afraid.

Gran's eyes grew sad and she reached for the long chain with the odd green rock at the end that she always toyed with when she was nervous. Then she told me the horrible thing that had happened. She told me of the crash, and how mother and father had… Died. I sobbed as she held me.

Just like that my innocence was taken, I would no longer be a normal girl. I would be an orphan for the rest of my life.

"You listen to me dear one, you and me, we are going to stick together okay? We are going to make it through this." She said as she stroked my hair.

I didn't believe her.

* * *

"Bretta! Come down, there is someone here to meet you!" Gran beckoned me.

I was upstairs drawing doodles at my art table. It had been nearly a month since we had scattered mother and father's ashes. The car had been set ablaze when we crashed, it was a miracle I had made it out at all.

It had been a hard month, Gran had let me mourn, but she had been talking of finding me a tutor to carry on my schooling where mother had left off.

I sighed and stood from my art table and slowly walked down the stairs. I stopped in my tracks when I met eyes with the stranger. He looked so much like father, perhaps a few years older but not much. He had the same facial shape and he smiled at me and it nearly made me want to cry at the resemblance, this stranger was not my father, however, his hair was too dark, almost black.

I swallowed thickly and walked forward to the man. He knelt before me so we were eye-to-eye. He smiled at me again and I felt my nervousness leaving.

"Hello, little Bretta, my name is Kieran."

"Kieran was a dear friend of your father's, Bretta." Gran said from her spot at the doorway.

I had never heard of this Kieran, father rarely spoke of family or friends. It was always just he, mother, and I in our little world. I tilted my head to the side slightly and looked at Kieran.

"How come father never told me about you?" I asked skeptically.

He laughed, "Oh you look so much like your mother it's eerie." He stood to his full height and I looked up at him. He had an English accent like father.

"Did you live near father in England?" I asked.

He glanced at Gran and they shared a look that I didn't quite understand. He cleared his throat before answering.

"Yes, yes we did." I nodded, satisfied with this answer.

"Kieran is going to take over your schooling from now on, Bretta. It was also your mother and father's wish for him to help in taking care of you if anything should ever happen to them. He will live here with us now." I bowed my head in sadness as Gran spoke.

I felt Kieran touch the top of my head and I looked up at him. His eyes were filled with sorrow as well and I guess him and father were very close indeed.

"Did your father by any chance ever teach you how to play Wicked Grace?" He asked me.

I grinned widely, "Yes!" I said feeling happy for the first time in too long.

I looked to Gran who was frowning, she had scolded father for teaching me the betting game. It was a game from England father had said. I remember once when I had saw two children at the doctor's office playing Go Fish I had happily asked them if they were playing Wicked Grace. Their mother looked at me in confusion and father had chuckled nervously as he ushered me away. He then told me that it was a game they only played in England.

"Just don't break open your piggy bank like last time." She relented with an eye roll.

I cheered and ran upstairs to get my cards.

* * *

 **AN:** There's a bit of an introduction, yes I reused the name Bretta for this character as well. It's a friend of mines name and I always admired the uniqueness of it. So… Sorry.

I really hope you all like this, it's going to be weird but hopefully in a good way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Bioware owns it all.

* * *

 _12 Years Later_

I closed my eyes tightly as the water hit my face. I _hated_ bathing huskies. Their coats were literally like a sponge and they just soaked up every last bit of water and they _always_ shook it all over me. My first day working here at the Animal Clinic I had had to bathe a husky, it was winter at the time and I had to go home for fresh clothes because I was soaked from head to toe.

No one is glamourous when dying of hypothermia, no one.

This particular husky was a pain, he was a regular boarder because his owner was something of a gypsy, she went on trips a lot and left Sam in our care, much to my disdain.

"Alright, Sam, I think you've had your fun for the day. Get out of the tub."

I motioned for him to jump out and he happily licked my face before jumping down and shaking _again,_ I groaned as my already drenched form got even wetter. The dog sat at my feet wagging his tail.

"I hope you're happy with yourself, now get in the kennel." I pointed at the metal kennel and he walked over to the open cage and laid down. Looking all too smug.

I hooked up the dryer to the cage and sighed before walking to my locker to grab a fresh set of clothes.

"You know, Bretta, it's the _dog_ that's supposed to get a bath, not you." I looked up to see my coworker Lori laughing at me.

I glared at her but smiled, "I hate bathing huskies, I'm going to start asking Doc for a raise every time he schedules one to come in."

"Let me know how that works out for you." She said as the phone at the desk began to ring, she rushed to answer it, her long blonde ponytail swishing as she jogged.

I had been working here at the local Animal Clinic for two years now. I had finished my high school studies and was unsure of what I wanted to do. I had always loved animals and when the local Clinic said they needed help I put in an application. I loved it. I loved seeing the animals everyday, I loved giving medicine, I loved helping Doc in surgery occasionally.

Kieran was pushing me to go to college. _You're too bright to not further your education_. He had said with his posh accent. I just didn't think college was for me. I liked doing things with my hands, working hard, I had never liked sitting at a desk.

When I told Kieran this he began muttering about stubborn Theirin blood. I ignored his mutterings, Kieran was a scholar himself, he was constantly reading a book. It was almost as if a book was an extended part of him. I loved to read as well, but I would rather go out and experience something as opposed to reading about it.

Mother hadn't gone to college, and neither had father, he was simply a good writer and that's why he had been offered so many jobs. I had made this point to Kieran too, and he usually stopped arguing with me when I brought up my parents.

I personally thought he was bored, he had picked up a few more tutoring jobs here and there and he complained about the mundaneness of children in this day. He spoke like he was an old man. Gran always scolded him when he got grumpy about the children he taught. She said they didn't know different and it was unfair to judge them for it.

I pulled my dry t-shirt on over my head just as the clock dinged for lunch. I slipped my boots on and grabbed my car keys and headed out the door.

* * *

I put my car in park and stared up at the sign. The antique store had been open for over a month now, I had wanted to venture in and see what the shelves held but I hadn't quite gotten the courage to do it.

Mother had always loved going in antique shops; she was what Gran called an _old soul_. She adored old jewelry boxes, she had a vast collection of them, I hadn't laid eyes on them since the accident. They were safely tucked on their shelf in mother and father's room.

The door always stayed shut.

I took a deep breath and got out of the car. My lunch lasted an hour so I had time to kill. A little bell dinged when I walked in and an older lady greeted me from her spot behind the counter, she was reading a Cosmopolitan magazine, her hair was that bluish white that elderly people usually had, and she wore bright pink lipstick. I smiled at her and began browsing.

There were so many things in here that I knew mother would have loved, it made my heart hurt just a bit, I wished she was here with me. I ran my hand over some old books and sighed, I had no intention of buying anything, but being in here made me feel close to mother somehow. I walked farther back into the store and came to a corner where a vanity sat. I walked over to the old wooden piece of furniture and looked at the knick-knacks resting on it.

My breath caught when I saw a small green jewelry box sitting beside an old mirror. It looked a lot like one I remembered mother having. I reached out to touch it and the fragile lid slid off slightly. My hand was shaking for some reason, and I felt this _need_ to see what was inside the box.

Once I removed the lid I saw a necklace resting inside of it. It had a gold chain and an odd yellow crystal attached to the chain, it looked like the crystals I used to find in the creek when I was young, except it was a bright yellow.

I wanted it.

I lifted it from the box and stared at it. It felt warm to the touch and I needed to own it, I had to have it. I undid the clasp and put the necklace on and the strange panic subsided a bit. I was walking to the front of the store before I even realized I was doing it.

"I would like to buy this necklace." I said to the woman.

She looked up from her magazine and smiled. She put the magazine on the counter and then stood to take the necklace. I stepped back instinctively and placed my hand over the necklace, I felt strangely protective of it. It was mine, it was meant for me.

"I need to see the price, dear." She said with an odd look on her face, I'm sure I seemed like a crazy person.

I felt slightly embarrassed as I reached behind my neck and removed the tag and handed it over to her. She rang me up and I paid her almost an entire week's paycheck for the necklace and then I left.

* * *

A few weeks later I had almost forgotten the necklace completely. I had taken it off upon returning home the evening I bought it and it was still in the same spot on my dresser that it had been since that day. The strange want for the necklace had went away as soon as I had bought it, it was the strangest thing. I wrote it off to my emotions being high because of feeling nostalgic over mother.

One evening when Gran called me down for dinner, the necklace caught my eye as I walked towards my door. I thought I might as well wear it, since I had spent an entire paycheck on it. I clasped the necklace around my neck, I didn't feel crazy, but the necklace was still warm to the touch.

Dinner went as usual, we all talked about our days. It was nearly spring time so Gran had been in her greenhouse non stop, Kieran told us funny stories about the little boy he was tutoring, and I grossed everyone out talking about the wounded animals that had came into the clinic. It was a normal evening.

After dinner Kieran and I ran Gran off so that we could do the dishes. She pretended to protest but then wandered off towards her greenhouse mumbling about playing music for the tulips. I chuckled at her and took the dishes to the kitchen. I washed them and Kieran dried, it had been like this ever since he moved here. We rarely talked during this routine, Kieran was like another father to me, and while he pushed me to try harder in my studies, he also understood me better than even Gran.

After I handed him the last dish I dried my hands off and then handed him the washcloth. He took it and began wiping the counter. I sighed and pulled my long hair off of my shoulders and into a bun, the house had began getting hotter with the warmer months moving in. Kieran turned to say something to me but stopped himself.

"Where did you get that necklace?" He asked suddenly. His eyes were wide and… Afraid?

I looked down at the necklace, having forgotten I was even wearing it.

"Oh, I got it at that new antique shop a few weeks ago. It was actually really weird, I felt like I _needed_ it. I've never felt so impulsive before. So I bought it." I shrugged a shoulder and was about to ask him why he was acting so weird but he had gone back to wiping off the counter.

I tilted my head at his odd behavior, his demeanor had changed so quickly I wondered if I had imagined the fear I saw in his eyes.

"That is weird indeed." He said conversationally and his tone said the subject should be dropped.

Before I could question him further he had thrown the washcloth into the sink, kissed the top of my head and bid me goodnight. How odd.

* * *

That night I woke up from a nightmare. I couldn't remember what had happened but I woke up in a cold sweat and my heart was beating scarily fast. I sat up quickly and my chest heaved up and down as I tried to catch my breath. I felt like my chest was burning and I looked down where the necklace rested on my collar bones. It felt like it was on fire. I touched it and jerked my hand away as I hissed, it felt like touching a hot stove.

What on earth was happening?

I opened my mouth to call for Gran and Kieran but my throat was dry. I was about to get out of bed to go find them when I saw it. Something wasn't right in my room. It was _moving_ , but not like spinning. The only way I can describe it was like it was a curtain billowing softly in the breeze, and the curtain was made from my room, from my very surroundings.

I stared at the opening of the curtain. I blinked several times, thinking I must be imagining things. I could hear birds chirping and I could smell flowers. _What in the world._

I got up slowly and walked towards the curtain. I reached out to touch it and it felt like cool silk in my hand I pulled it back and gasped at the forest that was before me. I dropped the curtain and backed up. I was dreaming, this wasn't real, this couldn't be real. I was about to make a run for it but suddenly the necklace jerked me towards the opening of the curtain. I grabbed at the chain and tried to pull it off but the necklace was alive and it was pulling me through the curtain.

I felt cold grass under my face, and then darkness overtook me.

* * *

 **AN:** So now Bretta is in Thedas, I wonder who will be the first to greet her there?

Also, if you're wondering, Kieran _is_ in fact the son of Morrigan. He's all grown up now and I'm excited to write him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, all rights to Dragon Age belong to Bioware. I simply enjoy playing with the world they've created. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

My head hurt, I winced when I opened my eyes and the bright light hit them. I covered my face with my hands and felt wetness on them, my whole body felt damp. I sat up quickly and looked at my surroundings. I was laying in a small clearing amongst a forest. My clothes were wet from dew. I was confused for a nanosecond but then the events from the night before flooded my brain.

The necklace burning my skin, the strange curtain. No, it had to be a dream. I looked around at the greenery that surrounded me. How could this be happening? I pinched myself until tears flooded my eyes and nothing. I felt myself begin to hyperventilate. I didn't know what was happening to me, but it had to do with the necklace. I reached up and touched the offending object. It wasn't warm to the touch any longer. It felt cool on my flushed skin.

Kieran had acted so strangely upon seeing the necklace, did he know about the power it held? I was crying and breathing heavily. I had no idea where I was. I grabbed my hair in frustration and screamed.

"Well, well, what have we here?" A voice was suddenly in front of me.

I looked up sharply to see an old woman standing before me. I hadn't even heard her approach. She looked dangerous. Her eyes were an intense yellow, with thick black eye makeup around them. She was wearing some sort of armor and she was looking at me with a smirk.

I rushed to stand and I sniffled as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice was shaking.

"Never mind who I am, dear. I am more interested in who _you_ are." She said as she slowly began to circle me.

I watched her, unsure if I should tell her my name. She left me unsettled but for some reason I… Trusted her.

"M-my name is Bretta Theirin." I said slowly.

She stopped her circling and tilted her head slightly as she looked at me.

"Theirin, you say? Oh, how fate does astound me again." She shook her head and chuckled to herself.

"Where am I? Do you know about this?" I pulled the necklace from my t-shirt and held the stone in my hand.

The woman looked at the stone and then back at me. She threw her head back and laughed a sinister laugh.

"The bird does not often know the song it carries." She said more to herself than to me.

"What are you talking about?" I was getting frustrated with the strange woman.

She ignored my question and instead answered my earlier one. "You are in a country called Fereldan, in a world called Thedas."

Her words were completely unfamiliar to me.

"F-Fereldan?"

"Yes, Fereldan."

"What about… Earth? I'm from a country called America." I was beginning to panic.

The woman laughed again and I was failing to see the humor in this situation.

"Oh, they _were_ thorough." She said cryptically.

I had had enough, "I don't understand anything you're saying! I was asleep in my bed and then this _abomination_ " I grabbed the necklace. "Pulled me into this… This _Fereldan_. I don't know where I am, I'm scared and I'm hungry, and I think I might possibly have lost my mind."

"I am going to help you, I will tell you where to go and find help, but I require something in return." The woman said staring at the necklace again.

"What do you want?" I asked suspiciously.

"I want that necklace." I touched the stone and stepped away. I was afraid of this necklace, but the strange sense of ownership flared up when the woman asked for it.

"No." I said sternly.

She looked at me with a curious tilt of her head. "Really? You would rather keep the small trinket, and have me leave you in the middle of an unfamiliar forest?"

I swallow and took a deep breath. "If you're not going to help me, I think I will leave."

I began to walk away but her voice called to me, "Wait a moment child, I will help you. I was simply curious to your attachment to the object."

"You'll help me?"

She sighed and began walking motioning for me to follow her. I stumbled after her, my bare feet were sore from the ground.

"This world is nothing like the one you know. Have you ever read a fairy tale, child?" She asked me as we walked.

"My mother used to read them to me."

"You'll find that this world is much closer to that of books than that of your world. You'll need new clothes, and you need to eat. You've got a long journey ahead of you."

"Where am I going?"

"You're going to find your mother and father." She said. I stopped walking and stared after her.

"M-my mother and father? But they died…" My voice grew small and she turned to look at me with a slightly annoyed expression.

"They're very much alive. You must go to them, they're the only ones who can protect you. They are in a city called Denerim, it will take you about two weeks to get there. I have two very serious things to tell you."

My mind was reeling; my parents lived? They knew of this place? Did this mean Gran knew of this place too, and Kieran?

"My parents are from here?" I asked. The woman rolled her eyes.

"Yes, child, they are from here and so are you. You were born here. There are things that I cannot tell you because of your safety. Know this though. There is a group of people who hunt the wearer of that necklace. They are called the Grey Wardens, they are good people, but not to you. You must not let anyone know you carry that necklace, do you understand me?" She glared into my eyes and I nodded slowly, trying to absorb everything she was telling me.

"You must also not tell anyone your last name, make up a new one, don't let anyone know where you're from. They'll lock you up."

"What am I supposed to tell them?"

"Use your imagination." She began walking again and I followed after her.

Suddenly there was a break in the trees and a small village was before us. I stared at it in awe. There were people bustling around. Women carrying babies and wearing long dresses. The men wore tunics, some pushed carts full of vegetables, others carried sacks of what I suppose was flour over their shoulders. There were other men and woman dressed in polished armor, they surveyed the surroundings. Some wore bows over their backs and others carried broadswords. It was something out of a book, just like she had said.

"These lands belong to Teyrn Cousland, a kind man, you will find help here. You must get to Denerim, with haste."

"Thank you…" I stopped, "I've only just realized I don't know your name."

"Call me Flemeth, I must leave you now, and do not forget everything I told you."

In the time it took me to blink she was gone. I looked around me, she had completely vanished. I was still shaking, and I was still somewhat unbelieving of what was happening to me. If Kieran knew about this then perhaps he would come for me, but I couldn't wait for that to happen. I had to get to this Denerim and find my mother and father. I looked down to tuck the necklace safely into my shirt, that's when I realized what I was wearing. A plain white t-shirt and a pair of cotton blue pajama shorts. These people would think I was dressed down right scandalous.

I had to form a story in my head, I was robbed on the road by bandits, I'm sure they had bandits right? I began walking, terrified of what to say if someone spoke to me. I was shaking violently, not only from fear that had grabbed onto my chest but also from the cold. I thought I might burst into tears at any moment.

"My lady?" A soft male voice came to me suddenly.

I nearly screamed as I jumped. One of the armored men was staring at me with a concerned expression, his hands were held in front of him as if to show he wasn't a threat.

"Are you in need of help madam?" He asked slowly. A hand reached out to me and I suddenly burst into tears and nearly fainted. He caught me with ease.

"She is freezing." He said to himself. "Guardsmen! Ride ahead and alert the Teyrn that there is a woman in need of help in the village, I think she might be a noble." I heard the sound of hoofbeats galloping away and then I passed out into the kind strangers arms.

* * *

I was so comfortable, I felt myself waking up but I wished I could sleep for many more hours. The bed I was on was the softest I had ever laid upon. I was sure of it. Someone was wiping my face with a wet wash cloth and humming a pretty tune. I opened my eyes and saw a purple velvet canopy hung over the bed and I remembered where I was.

"My lady? Are you waking up?" A soft voice asked me.

I glanced over to the woman beside me, she was beautiful. She had caramel skin that was flawless, her hair was an even darker brown than my own mahogany locks. What caught my eye the most about her appearance however was her ears. They were pointed at the end. The woman was an elf.

"Lady Cousland will want to know you're awake, I will fetch her promptly." The woman hurriedly left the room, still humming the tune to herself as she went.

I pushed myself up in the bed trying to formulate a plan. I remembered the guard thinking I was a noble, perhaps I could go with that. I wondered why they had thought me noble. I was still having an internal struggle when the door to the room opened again and an elegant woman not much older than myself walked through. She had long blonde hair and pretty brown eyes. This must be the Lady Cousland.

"You poor thing, you must have gone through quite the ordeal." She said softly as she sat beside me. I simply nodded, still not knowing what in the world I should say.

"What is your name?" She asked.

I cleared my throat before answering. "My name is Bretta… Bretta… Donnicks." I decided to use mother's maiden name.

The woman's eyes sparked in recognition.

"Of the Ostwick Donnicks?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes?" I said, not knowing what an Ostwick was.

"Oh! Are you in relation to the Lady Elizabeth Donnicks, well Lady Theirin now." Mother, she was speaking of mother.

"Yes! Yes I am, I was… On my way to Denerim to visit with the Lady Theirin and that is when my… Party" I was trying to word things like a person of this time would. "Yes my party was attacked, by bandits. I then wandered into the village."

She listened intently as I spoke and grabbed my hand as she smiled at me. "I am so sorry such a wretched thing has happened to you Lady Bretta. I will fetch my lady's maid and she will help you into a spare dress of mine. You must join my husband and I for dinner, he will be most excited to meet you."

"He will?" I asked, the wheels turning in my head. More people to engage with meant I had to be all the more careful.

"Yes! You share family after all, he is cousins with Lady Elizabeth's husband. Prince Daniel."

I blanched, prince? Prince Daniel? My father was a prince? So didn't that make me? Oh my word. I sat back into the pillows.

"You look pale Lady Bretta, I will have Cecilia come and draw you a warm bath. I know that will make you feel better, that and a hot meal. I will go now and find a dress for you to wear." She got up to leave me, her long hair swishing as she walked.

I watched her go, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. What in the world had I gotten myself into?

* * *

 **AN:** Until next time.

Also, I'm aware that some of you may be wondering how Flemeth is here. Seeming as it appeared as if Solas killed her at the end of Inquisition. I have a hard time believing that was the end of Flemeth. After all, you can kill her in Origins and she's always there in DA2 regardless. So, just something to chew on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** All rights to Dragon Age belong to Bioware.

* * *

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, hardly recognizing myself. The deep blue of the gown I wore complimented my ivory skin. The elf woman Cecilia had combed my hair back and twisted it into an elaborate bun. I looked like my mother. My hair was the same dark mahogany as hers and my eyes were the same sapphire blue. I had never felt so glamorous in my entire life. I slipped the silk slippers onto my feet and followed Cecilia out of the room and through a bunch of corridors. We came to a large wooden door and she opened it for me and stood to the side. She winked at me as I walked past her, I was very grateful for her kindness.

"Lady Bretta! You look absolutely lovely, you bear a striking resemblance to the Lady Elizabeth Theirin." Lady Cousland greeted me as I entered the room. She sat to the left of a dark haired man. He watched me with narrowed eyes and I thought for sure he would see through me.

"You do indeed, you could almost be her daughter." He said slowly. I chuckled nervously and bowed my head, thinking that must be what was expected of me.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Teyrn Cousland." I said to the man.

His face changed, he smiled kindly at me and stood to bring my hand to his lips.

"The pleasure is ours, my lady. My wife tells me you were attacked on the road to Denerim?" He asked as he sat back down and motioned to a servant who brought us all a glass of red liquid.

An elf man helped me into my chair, I thanked him and he bowed his head slightly before leaving.

I cleared my throat before answering the Teyrn's question. "Yes… My lord, my entire party was killed and they took everything I carried with me." I hated lying, I despised it, but I was still surprised at how easily the lies were flowing from me. _It must come naturally_ , I thought with a bitter tone of mother and father.

"We will help you all that we can. I will have a servant fetch you some clothes. Anything for family, I am quite surprised I've never met you before."

I took a sip of the red liquid, it was wine, and it tasted amazing. "I have never been to Ferelden before now." That part was at least true.

"How are you finding it so far?" Lady Cousland asked.

"It's… Very different from my home. Very beautiful though, my lady." I said, again truthfully.

"Please, call me Anna, I think we shall be good friends." She smiled kindly and I returned it.

"Anna… Only if you will agree to call me Bretta. I thank you both for your kindness, I really need to get to Denerim as soon as possible. My m-, my cousin is expecting me." I caught myself quickly.

The Teyrn smiled and opened his mouth to speak; just then the doors to the dining hall opened and a man walked in. My first thought upon seeing this man was that I didn't think I had ever seen someone so handsome in all my life. He had black hair that hung slightly shaggy, his jawline was defined with a dusting of stubble across it. His eyes were the most striking, they were a shade of green that I had never seen before. Like summer grass after a rain shower. He was beautiful and I felt my breath catch at the sight of him.

"Parker!" Lady Cousland said happily when he entered. She got up to run around the table and hug him tightly.

"Sister, you look well." He said with a grin, his voice was like velvet.

"Why didn't you write me to say you were coming! I would have pulled a party together!"

"That's exactly why I didn't write you. I told Stanley, I wanted to surprise you. I'm only able to stay for a night. There is a meeting at the capitol that I must attend."

"Stanley! You bad man! I can't believe you wouldn't tell me my baby brother was coming!" She scolded the Teyrn, he simply smiled at his wife.

"I apologize, my love, but you are forgetting our guest." He reminded her.

She turned to me and smiled apologetically. "Oh forgive me, Bretta, it has been nearly a year since I have seen my brother you see." I waved my hand and smiled to let her know I wasn't offended.

The man, Parker, turned to look at me as his sister did. He settled me with those piercing green eyes and I thought I would stay there forever, trapped in his gaze. What was wrong with me?

"Forgive me as well, my lady. I am Parker Evanson, the Lady Cousland is my older sister." He came forth and kissed my hand just as the Teyrn had.

"Please, call me Bretta." I said meekly.

"Bretta." He smiled as he said my name.

"Parker is a Grey Warden, oh! Bretta is headed to Denerim as well, brother! You could escort her!" Anna was talking animatedly but my stomach had clenched.

 _There is a group of people who hunt the wearer of that necklace. They are called the Grey Wardens, they are good people, but not to you._

This man was a Grey Warden. I stared at his blue and grey armor he wore. It had a griffin on the breastplate. His hand rested easily on his sword hilt. This man wanted me, because of this necklace. The crystal suddenly felt very heavy against my collarbone. I felt like I was sweating and I prayed they couldn't tell.

"I would be proud to escort the lady. That is if she doesn't mind camping with a bunch of smelly Wardens for a couple of weeks." He smiled in a friendly way and I gulped. There were more of them.

They all waited for me to respond, if I refused they would find me odd and ungrateful. The Grey Wardens were obviously revered soldiers. The way Anna and the Teyrn smiled at Parker proudly was proof of that. I forced a tight smiled and cleared my throat nervously and said the only thing I could say.

"The honor would be mine to travel with Grey Wardens." I was dead for sure.

* * *

"We will stop here, my lady." A female Warden notified me.

I pulled my horse to a stop and hopped off. I was thankful that father had made me take basic horse riding lessons as a child; but that had been years ago. My butt was nearly completely numb and the slippers Anna had given me were very beautiful, but not exactly something you wanted to travel across country on horseback in.

It had been three days since we left Highever. I had made sure I didn't speak to anyone directly unless spoken to. I made camp a safe distance from everyone else. I didn't want to encourage them to speak to me. Mostly because I had no idea what to say to these people, and also because I was terrified of them discovering me. I wished I had asked Flemeth more about the wretched necklace and why it was so important. I had so many questions, and while I was so happy to find my mother and father alive, another part of me was fiercely angry that they had abandoned me.

I thought of Gran and Kieran; they both had to have known about all of this. Had Kieran come for me yet? I kept hoping he would show up in front of me and answer all of the questions that were driving me batty.

"You haven't eaten all day, have some bread." I looked up from my place on my bedroll to find Parker looking at me with a piece of bread offered.

"I'm not hungry." I said quickly. I had too much on my mind to eat.

He rolled his eyes and sat down beside me. I instinctively moved away from him and tucked my legs underneath me.

"It's a long road to Denerim, Bretta. You have to keep your strength. Eat." He demanded.

I took the bread from him and nibbled a bit, hoping he would be appeased. Parker nodded to himself, pleased.

"My sister says you've never been to Ferelden before." He said as he took a bite of his own bread.

I swallowed and nodded. "I indeed have not."

"I only visited Ostwick once as a small child. I found it was lovely." He said conversationally.

I was briefly confused but then I remembered Ostwick was mother's country of origin.

"Oh! Yes, it's very beautiful." I said, and I hoped he read the tone of my voice that said I didn't wish to continue this conversation.

I felt him watching me, his green eyes were so probing. He terrified me. He was intelligent, that much I had learned. He lead his men with a confidence that wasn't seen often. He was stern, but likable.

He was dangerous.

"You're a hard one to figure out, Bretta" he took another bite of bread and chewed it as he stared at me.

I swallowed my bite of bread and chuckled nervously. "There's nothing to figure out. I'm a simple girl of noble birth going to visit family in Denerim." Lies. Lies. Lies.

His eyes narrowed, "Is that so?"

I lifted my chin and nodded confidently.

He pursed his lips and looked away. Then he chuckled.

"You know, I've never seen a lady of noble birth ride a horse the way you do. Straddling it like a man." He mused. I opened my mouth but he kept going.

"Also, I've noticed you only really answer to your first name. The other day Warden Danvers had to all but shout at you to get your attention. You also are always patting your chest as if to check and see that something is still there." He finished his little rant without once looking my way.

I sat there with my mouth open and fear gripping at my heart. I was dead.

"You, Bretta Donnicks, have secrets." He said and then stood.

He began to walk away but turned to look at me. Maybe he saw the fear in my eyes and took pity on me. He walked over, bent at the waist so his face was right in front of my own.

"That's okay though, I like secrets." Then he took the final bite of his bread and left me sitting there in stunned silence.

* * *

Parker didn't try to converse with me the morning after our chat and I found myself being even more guarded than I had been before. He sensed something, I had to be more careful. I still had no idea what I was dealing with exactly. Why did I have such a bond to the necklace? Why had mother and father taken our family away from this place?

There was so much I needed answers for.

My mind was so clouded with thoughts that my horse nearly bumped into the Warden in front of me. I looked up to see that everyone has stopped and they were all reaching for their weapons.

"What is happening?" I asked, afraid.

"Quiet!" Parker hissed and he rode his horse up beside mine.

It all happened quickly then. These… Things burst from the trees. They looked like rotted corpses, and they carried weapons.

"Darkspawn!" A female Warden shouted.

"Bretta! Run!" Parker looked at me with panicked eyes and he suddenly slapped my horse's hind quarters causing the mare to rear up and take off like a bat out of hell.

I held on tightly as the horse ran us into the forest and away from the conflict. I could hear the fighting behind me and I felt terror grip me. What were those creatures? They smelled of death. I pulled back on the reigns trying to get my horse to slow down. She finally went to a trot and then stopped all together. My heart was racing, I had no idea where I was. I couldn't go on without them, and I couldn't leave them. What could I do? Father had taught me how to shoot a bow when I was young but those lessons had stopped when he died… Or when he left rather.

I knew I had to do something. I gripped what courage I could muster and I kicked my horse and got her to head back in the direction that we had come from. I entered the battlefield and nearly fainted. Wardens and the creatures lay dead everywhere, and they were still fighting. I realized in that moment just how real this situation was. There is a stark difference in seeing violence in movies and then witnessing it yourself. These are people I had seen every day for the past weeks. We had shared meals together. I had listened to them laugh. They had families and people who loved them and they were dead.

"Bretta! Look out!"

It was Parker again and just as I turned to his voice an arrow struck my horse in the neck causing the animal to rear again, I fell to the ground hard. I pushed myself up just in time to dodge the swing of a sword. I screamed and tried to pull myself to my feet. Parker was running towards me but he kept getting stopped by more enemies. I was going to die.

The creature wheeled on me again. Things happened slowly. I shouted as I thrust my hands before me. I had no idea what would happen but it felt right. This energy left me then. It exploded from within me and it came from the palms of my hands in the form of flames. The creature turned to ash before my eyes. I looked at my hands when the creature was dead and I turned to see the remaining darkspawn were fleeing.

I began to sob hard. What was happening? How was any of this possible? Magic wasn't real. How had I produced fire from my hands just out of pure willpower? I vomited onto the ground before me and continued to sob loudly.

I felt strong arms surround me and I burrowed my face into his armor. I could hear the slight tinking noise as my tears hit his breastplate. Parker stroked my hair lightly as he held me and I sobbed.

I cried for my parents. I cried for the life I thought I knew. I cried for Kieran. I cried for the dead men and women that were scattered around me.

"It's okay, Bretta, I've got you." Parker said, "It's over, I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

* * *

A/N: Woo, this was a hard chapter to write. I just _kept_ getting stuck. Sorry for the delay!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I officially suck at keeping an update schedule, but I shall endure and continue to write this story because it'll drive me crazy if I don't.

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine, in any way, at all, ever, never will be.

* * *

I began to have nightmares after the day of the darkspawn attack. It was usually about the beasts attacking us again while we slept.

There was another dream though that always woke me, I would be covered in sweat and screaming. It was of the creatures devouring the very land that we walked upon. They sucked up everything good until nothing was left but death and ruin. That dream always felt _real_ not like a dream but almost like a vision.

I hadn't wanted to ask what the creatures were, for fear of them discovering I wasn't from here. I deducted that the Grey Wardens were a special sort of warriors. They were trained specifically for the purpose of killing darkspawn.

Parker had asked me why I didn't tell him I was a Mage. I had had no idea I could even do such a thing as conduct flames with my fingers. I told him this and he had cocked his head to the side.

"That's odd, most mages show their gifts at a very young age." I had wanted to slap myself.

I tried not to let my anxiety show and had said I no longer wished to speak of it. He had honored this and in turn hadn't spoken to me in days. I tried to be glad at his silence. I had wanted this, I didn't want to out myself; but sometimes at night, when I would wake up in a cold sweat, my heart in my throat, I would think of his arms around me that day. So much death surrounded us, but I had felt safe for the first time in weeks.

I looked at him then as I pondered things. He road ahead of the rest of us. His back straight and his eyes always scanning the trees for potential threats. Could I tell this man my secret? Would he keep it?

 _No you fool. Remember who he is._

My inner voice hissed at me and I remembered the griffin upon his armor. I was alone in this, until we reached mother and father. I was alone.

* * *

The city of Denerim was not as I had thought it would be. I thought it would be even more lively than the small village I had stumbled into at Highever. The streets were quiet. Market stalls were empty and abandoned. The people that did walk the streets wore solemn expressions and walked with their heads downs. I looked to Parker who also had a confused look on his face.

"You there!" He called out to a young boy that carried several loaves of bread in his tiny arms. He stopped running at Parker's voice.

"Where is everyone? Why are the streets so deserted?" He asked.

"You aven't heard, ser?"

"Heard what?"

"The crown prince is dead, and his lady princess. They both got a fever and died within a week. The 'ole city is in a despair, they says there's no heir to the throne now. They reckon we're all doomed."

I nearly fell off my horse at the boy's words. Mother and father were dead, and just when I had found out they had lived all this time. Pain ripped into my heart. I was alone, how was I supposed to carry this burden on my own? They were supposed to tell me what to do. They were supposed to help me.

A sob threatened to rip out of my chest.

"Which way to the castle?" I said frantically. The boy looked to me and pointed with a dumbfounded expression.

I took off in the direction he pointed. I had to get to them, I had to see them.

"Bretta wait!" Parker called after me but I didn't care to listen.

I felt the tears falling down my face as I ran. Ugly, painful sobs ripped from my chest. I finally came to a castle gate.

"I am family to Daniel and Elizabeth Theirin!" I hopped off my horse and rushed to the guards.

"I must, I must see them." I said as I huffed.

They both looked at me as if they were seeing a ghost.

"Open the gate!" They shouted and the gate slowly began to open.

I rushed inside and was met by another guard who said he would take me to them. I followed behind him and didn't even try to hold in the sobs that shook my entire body. We came to what seemed to be a small chapel and inside both mother and father were laid upon a stone platform. Their hands were intertwined. I walked to them slowly. They both looked older than I remembered. They could have been sleeping, with how peaceful they looked. I broke then, I screamed in my grief and threw myself onto father's chest as I sobbed.

"You were supposed to help me!" I shouted into his chest. I sobbed into his fine clothing. My tears soaking the silk.

"Who are you, child?" A voice came from the shadows. I jumped at the sound and turned to see an older woman emerging. She wore a fine crown upon her hear, she was beautiful.

I knew I needed to lie, I had no idea who this woman was. She could have very well thrown me into a dungeon for all I knew; but in my grief I could not lie. I could not lie in front of my mother and father. To hell with what happened to me, I was tired.

"I am Bretta Elissa Theirin. Daughter of Daniel Theirin." I held my chin high as I spoke, even as the tears continued to fall.

The woman's face slackened in shock and then she came forward. She reached a hand out to me but then pulled it back as if she thought I was a figment of her imagination. I watched her carefully, unsure of what she was thinking. She finally touched my cheek with her hand and her face softened, she sobbed but she was smiling as she pulled me to her tightly and hugged me.

I was so shocked by her actions that I nearly missed the words she started saying over and over.

"My dear sweet granddaughter."

* * *

I awoke the next morning with a splitting headache. I vaguely remembered the woman… My grandmother, the queen, leading me to a room. My body and mind were exhausted from the turmoil over the last month and I had passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The curtains were pulled in the room I was in, and for that I was grateful. I looked around the room and noted that it was even more lavishly decorated than my room at Teyrn Cousland's had been. I sat up and my body popped from the movement. How long had I been asleep?

"You're awake." A voice came from my right.

I looked over to find Kieran sitting in a chair beside a fire. He was watching me, he looked like he hadn't slept. His eyes were red and full of grief, and his face that was usually smooth was unshaven with several days stubble. Even with his rumpled state, he was the best thing in the world to me in that instant. He was the first familiar face I had seen in a month. I flew from my spot on the bed and into his arms. My head screamed but I didn't care, I openly sobbed into his arms.

"There there now little duck." He said in a soothing voice as he patted my back.

"Mother and father…" I croaked.

"I know. Bretta I am so sorry, I am so sorry you've been kept in the dark."

I sniffled and pulled away but held firm onto his hand. I felt like I needed him to anchor me to the ground.

"Kieran, I have been so afraid, what in the world is going on?" Weeks of being afraid and not knowing how or why things were happening to me crept into my voice.

Kieran didn't answer me right away, he reached forward where the crystal hung around my neck. He lifted the stone into his hands and twisted it between his fingers.

"Who knows you have this?" He asked, he met my eyes and his were serious and frightened.

"No one, except for you, and a woman called Flemeth." I murmured.

Kieran hissed and stood abruptly.

"It figures that infernal woman would insert herself into this." He muttered as he began to pace in front of the fire.

"I don't understand." I said, "What is this crystal, Kieran? Why is it so important?"

"It's not the crystal itself that's important, but rather the person that wears it."

"Meaning me." I stayed dumbly.

Kieran stopped pacing and raked his hand through his hair.

"Do you remember the day you found it? You said you had this _need_ like you _had_ to have it?" He looked at me expectantly and I nodded.

"That wasn't a figment of your imagination. That necklace is tainted, Bretta, with dark magic, blood magic. No one knows who created it, and it's only appeared a few times throughout history. Twice to be exact, not including you." He stopped and took a deep breath before pacing again.

"The crystal shows up when a prophecy is made. The last documented sighting of it was when the prophet Andraste was alive. It chose her."

"Andraste?" I asked. I had heard the Grey Wardens speak the name but had been too afraid to ask questions.

"I am forgetting you know nothing of this world. Andraste is a religious figure, she is worshiped and revered. The bride of the maker." He motioned with his hands as if to say etcetera.

"The point is that the crystal is a bad omen. A year before you were born a prophecy was made, it said that within a year a child would be born, and that this child would stop all future Blights. An end to the blight completely, an end to darkspawn."

"What is a Blight?"

"Legend says that a group of blood mages tried to enter the Golden City, the seat of the maker. To punish them for their treachery the Maker cursed them, thus the first darkspawn were born. There have been five blights since then. The sixth is beginning now, not even half a century since the last. People are growing frightened at what this means."

I soaked in all that he was saying, "And it's up to me to stop this?"

"You were a week old when the necklace chose you. Your mother went to get you out of your crib one morning and found it around your neck. Your parents were terrified, so they fled, I helped them. It took a lot of magic, blood magic, to do it, but it needed to be done. To protect you. Your father traveled back and forth over the years. They thought you would be safe if you were in a different realm; but then our father died and our oldest brother not long after. Daniel had to return, but you couldn't come. They couldn't risk it."

"Father? Brother? You and my father were brothers?" He nodded and I sat back in the chair. My head was spinning at all the information I had received.

Kieran sat down in another chair beside mine.

"Are you okay?"

I didn't answer, "What does the prophecy mean exactly? Why were they so afraid of it?"

Kieran turned his head away from mine.

"Kieran, tell me."

He was reluctant, I could tell, but I stared at him. I needed him to say it.

"It says that the child that the necklace chooses will stop all future Blights, but die in the process."

The air left me in a whoosh. I had suspected, but to hear him say it was another thing. I felt sick. I touched the necklace that rested on my chest and I thought that perhaps I should cry, or yell, shout to the heavens that life wasn't fair. I just sat there quietly though, I didn't think I had any tears left. I was all dried out.

"There is one other thing…" Kieran watched me with concerned eyes.

"With your father being dead, that leaves you as the sole heir to the throne of Ferelden." I looked to him sharply.

"What about you?" I demanded.

"I'm not exactly a claimed son of my father. Elissa, the queen, is not my mother; even though she has always treated me as a son."

"I don't know anything about this world, Kieran, I can't possible… Rule." I gulped at the thought.

"That is not the first priority here, the first priority is this necklace and your safety." He stood again and leaned against the mantel.

He was trying to conjure a plan. I felt content to let him worry, I had worried myself sick the last month. I needed this moment to take everything in. A month ago I was fairly normal, odd to some I suppose, but I had a normal life. Now I had discovered that not only am I the sole heir to a kingdom in a completely different dimension, I also have the threat of my impending death weighing on my shoulders. I longed for mother and father, I had dared to let my heart hope to see them again.

"What is this fever that took mother and father?" I asked suddenly. Kieran looked to me, pulled from his thoughts.

"We don't know, no magic could heal them." His face was full of skepticism and I was afraid to ask what he was thinking.

A thought occurred to me at his words, I looked down at my hands. I hadn't dared try to make anything happen since the day in the forest.

"Kieran, I'm a Mage." I said without looking away from my hands.

He turned to me sharply, in a second he was knelt before me holding my wrist.

"How do you know?"

"The party of Grey Wardens I traveled with was attacked, a darkspawn was about to kill me but I… Set it on fire."

"Andraste's tits, Bretta." Kieran said with a sigh.

"Are mages bad?" I asked.

"No, we actually live much more free than we used to. Ever since Devine Victoria was placed on the Sunburst Throne the mages have been able to all but govern themselves." I nodded as I listened.

"You said we…" I murmured, he nodded.

"I too have the gift of magic, I will show you how to wield it." Another fact to catalogue into my mind.

"Listen, Bretta, like it or not we have to let the people of Ferelden know you're alive and well. The country is mourning and afraid. It is crucial though that you not tell anyone of the crystal or of where you were raised. I suggest you start reading as many books as possible, you're officially a Fereldan now, better start acting like it."

* * *

 **A/N:** Woooo, lots happening. Lots of info to take in. Where is Parker you ask? You'll see him next chapter...


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** You know when I started writing this I thought "no one is going to read this but me" and I was okay with that. I needed an outlet to just get this story off of my chest, but then I got a notification that someone had actually followed it. Holy moley, thank you for humoring me.

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine.

* * *

 _I was at the clinic. Lori and I were trying to decide where to go for lunch and I was joking with Doc about giving me a raise since I had to bathe two huskies that morning._

 _I thought of Gran, her tomatoes were almost ready to harvest and I was really excited. Fresh tomato and mayo sandwiches were my favorite. Kieran and I always liked to argue over who got the first tomato of the season._

I opened my eyes and sat up. I wasn't at the clinic, I was in my room at the castle of Denerim. I had been here for nearly a month. Grandmother had announced a week ago that I had returned and I had been pulled in every direction you could imagine since. She and Kieran had come up with a very elaborate story, they announced that I was a Mage and mother and father had taken me to a secluded part of Ostwick for private training. I learned that I would be the first Mage to ever hold a throne of Ferelden, the country was the most tolerant of mages that they had ever been; but Kieran worried for my safety because there were those that thought we were becoming like Tevinter by me taking the crown.

I had spent my days in the castle library. I learned of how grandmother and grandfather had stopped the Fifth Blight. I read about the oppression of the mages and the rebellion against the Templars starting in Kirkwall. I read of the Inquisitor and the Elder One. This world seemed to be in constant turmoil, and I grew more afraid of the responsibility placed upon my shoulders.

Nights were the hardest, at night I was plagued with nightmares. The most realistic nightmares I had ever had. Kieran had told me of the Fade during my training, he told me it was crucial to ignore the demons that would tempt me there. The demons were twisted creatures. They fed on my fears, they often wore the faces of mother and father. They told me of their disappointment and how I had failed them. Sometimes they looked like Gran. She had stayed behind to keep up appearances, and I was shocked to find out that she wasn't my grandmother at all, but a court Mage that had came with us to ensure that father could travel between worlds.

My entire life had been a lie. I sat up in bed and touched the crystal. It felt warm in my cold palm, Kieran said it chose me the night I was born, and then showed itself a week later. This tiny stone around my neck had turned my world upside down not once but twice.

I settled back down into the pillows and sighed, I willed myself to think of things that wouldn't bring nightmares into my mind. I longed for a good night's rest. Then my mind drifted to Parker, as it did more often than I would like to admit. I hadn't heard anything from the Grey Warden since I had been here, he was probably back to the Warden fortress in Amaranthine. Those weeks that I traveled with him had been some of the most trying times in my short life. He had tried to befriend me but I had pushed him away out of fear.

Kieran had lectured me for nearly an hour on how silly it was of me to agree to travel with Grey Wardens. He said they would have locked me up in a minute if they had caught a glimpse of the crystal. The Warden's main threat was the Blight, that was their purpose. They wanted to stop the Blight at all costs. My life was insignificant to them in the grand scheme of things.

It was hard to think of Parker harming anyone though. He had held me like I was a precious object after the darkspawn attack. He had made me feel safe, I shuddered to think of those beautiful eyes becoming hard and unfeeling.

I laid in my bed awake for another three hours. I watched the sun rise through the tall windows, the stained glass at the top turning my room shades of pink and blue. I knew it would only be a few minutes before a maid rushed into the room and began dressing me for the day.

Today was a crucial day, grandmother was officially presenting me to Ferelden as their heir. I was terrified. I had studied hard about Ferelden culture and also neighboring countries, but to converse with these people and make them think I belonged amongst them was a different story entirely. My stomach tied in knots, Kieran had told me to relax. He wouldn't leave my side, and for that I was grateful.

* * *

"Remember, don't let anyone make you feel inferior. You are royalty, Bretta, demand their respect." Grandmother was coaching me as a maid fixed my hair.

"I don't know how to demand respect, I've been invisible my entire life." She smiled and walked towards me and touched my face in a loving way. I had grown very attached to her in the month I had been here.

Her hands were rough from holding a bow, and she had scars that decorated her skin. She looked like a queen, sure, carried herself like one, but I knew she was a warrior. She was strong, no wonder she was so loved by her people.

"Beautiful things don't ask for attention." She said quietly. I blushed at her words.

"What if they see right through me?" I muttered.

"You are a Theirin, your father's blood runs through you. Take that strength and use it, you have been handed an incredible responsibility, and I know how heavy that can be on a person. Let those that love you help carry the burden." She pinched my chin and then turned to the maid.

"Gloria, could we maybe leave her hair down? Pull it half back, it will frame her face nicely." The woman nodded and began to do as she was asked. Grandmother winked at me and then left the room.

* * *

"Presenting to you, her royal highness, Bretta Elissa Therein, princess of Ferelden!" The man's voice boomed below me and I stepped out onto the balcony where Grandmother waited for me.

I put on my best smile and waved at the people cheering below us. They were throwing flowers towards the balcony and clapping, some even cried, the relief of the Theirin line continuing showing on their faces.

Grandmother hooked her arm through mine and waved as well. She was a pro at this, not a hair was out of place on her regal head and the people adored her. She smiled kindly at them as she waved and I wondered how I shared blood with such a force.

We stayed upon the balcony for a few moments more and then we went back inside the castle. The ball would be officially starting in an hour, lords and ladies from far and wide were coming to offer their congratulations to me and grandmother. Hands pulled at me as they tried to rid me of the constricting gold gown and place me into a beautiful silk pink one for the ball.

I had gotten a greater understanding of why mother loved old things so much. Everything here, down to the hair brushes was like a piece of art. I had never been a girlie girl, I liked getting my hands dirty, but it was hard not to enjoy the fine clothing I got to wear.

I looked at myself in the mirror as the ladies maids bustled around me making sure everything was perfect. You could see the gold chain of the crystal on my collar bones and I wondered if I should take it off. My stomach clenched at the thought. It seemed that the longer I wore it, the greater my attachment grew. The thought scared me.

"Are you alright, my lady? You've gone pale." Ginny, a blonde elf asked me kindly.

"Yes Ginny, I'm fine, but might I have a moment alone?" I said.

She nodded and shooed all of the girls out of my rooms, I let out a large breath and sat in a chair in front of my vanity. I opened one of the jewelry boxes, there sat a beautiful opal and rose gold necklace and matching earrings. A gift from an Orlesian noble. I touched the necklace and lifted it from the box with a sigh. I reached behind me to unclasp the crystal and replace it with the other. It wouldn't do to have the prophecy exposed in the middle of a ball. I placed the crystal in the box and then stuffed it in a drawer of the vanity.

To the eyes of the people I suppose I looked the part of a princess. With my hair pulled back and the makeup that had been carefully applied I showed the beauty of my mother. I felt like a scared little girl on the inside. I wanted to scream, all of these people were counting on my decisions to lead them. Three months ago I couldn't even decide if I wanted to go to college or not.

"You look beautiful, little dove, just like your mother." It was Kieran.

He held out his hand to me and I took it. He pulled me to my feet and I hugged him tightly.

"Knock em' dead." He whispered into my hair.

* * *

The ball was in full swing. I sat on an elaborate throne beside grandmother. I smiled at I watched the men twirl the women. It was something out of a fairy tale. I had greeted so many people that I thought I might lose my voice from all of the talking. Many of them kissed my hands and offered gifts. One Antivan Lord even offered his son's hand in marriage. I had blushed furiously at this and Grandmother had diplomatically said we would keep that in mind when I was ready to marry.

"You should eat, Bee, sometimes it's hard to remember with all of the festivities." Keiran bent to whisper in my ear.

I agreed with him and said I would go to the kitchens. It would be nice to slip away from everything for a moment and I was starving now that I had thought about it. I told grandmother where I was going and then I got up and left for the kitchen.

Chef made me a plate once I got there and I thanked him before digging in. The food was delicious, and I realized I hadn't eaten anything at all the entire day. I finished the meal quickly and then stood to head back to the ballroom.

"Evening, Princess." Came a velvet voice unexpectedly from the corner when I exited the kitchen. I gasped loudly and held my hand to my chest in shock.

"Parker." I said and found a smile coming to my face as my heartbeat went back to normal.

He pushed off from the wall he was leaning against and returned my smile.

"I have been wanting to talk to you all night but couldn't find the right time." He admitted.

I touched my hair nervously and sighed. "It has been quite the busy evening" I agreed.

"A busy month for you. Oh! I'm forgetting myself, your highness." He said dramatically and bowed at the waist.

I laughed, "Please don't, I've had enough of that to last a lifetime already."

He stood up straight and cocked his head slightly with a curious grin. "Why didn't you tell me who you were?" His tone was serious and guilt at my lies came flooding to the front of my mind.

"I guess I didn't know how. This life… Is new to me. I'm not sure who to trust." It was the absolute truth and it felt good to not lie to him.

"You can trust me, Princess" Parker said and I believed him, and I think he believed himself too, but he still didn't know everything. He didn't know about the crystal.

"I apologize, for lying to you, you volunteered to help me and I feel as if I betrayed that kindness." I said meekly.

"You're forgiven, but on one condition…" He had a mischievous smirk on his face.

"What condition?"

"You ditch the ball and take a walk with me." He said and offered his arm like a true gentleman. I smiled and I so wanted to, but grandmother would be wondering where I was.

Just then an elven servant walked by and I stopped him, "Could you please tell her majesty that I have fallen ill and will retire to my room for the remainder of the evening?"

The servant looked at me and then at Parker, he narrowed his eyes at the Warden but then turned to me and sighed. "Yes, Princess." He said reluctantly. I smiled and thanked him, then I took Parker's arm and we left the hallway.

* * *

 **A/N:** Parker makes me swoon. See you guys next time.


End file.
